Exercising machine



/ Dec. 7, 1948. .J. D. BELL EXERCISING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1948 INVENTOR,

Patented Dec. 7, 1948 {UNITED s TATES PATENT OFFICE The present invention relates to improvements in exercising machines and has particular reference to *a machine of the character described in which a seat occupant raises the seat and the weight of his body by pushing forward on a set of iootpedals while the weight of his body returns theseat andthe foot pedalsto an initial position. The present invention is a further development ofmyPressure drivefmechanism described-in my man da ture;

i j lltis furtherproposedQas anadditional feature, to pnovide means for limiting the movement of the brace on the traclc in either direction, desigrredt'o absorb energy for initiating the movement in the opposite directionl r r It isflirther proposed toprovide a Wave in the track intended to equalize the force necessary for advancing the braceQit having been observed-that aperson"operatingthe pedal isable to apply reater torceat the beginning of the advance movementfthan toward the end of the latter;

It is additionally contemplated in the present invention to provide m mmary featur'in the form of a fly wheel intendedto smooth out the movement and to efiect an easy transition ncm one m ment oth pt f v r I v Further objects an-dadvan tag'es of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features of my invention fwill be fully flefined-in the claims attached hereto. j The preferred pfornif of my inventiondis illitetratedin the accompanying drawing, in which the singlej figure thereof illustrates my machine in perspective view. r

While I have-shown onlyflthe preferred form of my invention, Iwish to have it understood that various changes and modifications may be made within the scopefof tthe claims attached hereto without departing irom the spirit of the invention. ,In its preferred form my machine restsflon a main frame! having cross members 2 at thefront andrear ends thereof and bent as at 3 to present a raised front section Manda rear section 5 disposed in the plane offthe'twotransverse members 1 inclinedtrackiis mountedover the curved axaaolsmofivraonma Joseph Bell, Sankrancisco, Calif. Application July 22, 1948, sale No. 40,045 r 11 (llaims. (o1; era-'19) portion {3 onsuitable supporting legs I, the front bflthe trackbeing higher than the rear and termieating in a curve '8 while the rear end terminates in curve 9,-the two curves being intended to limit theiorward and-rearward movement of the brace to be described presently and to initiate movement in the opposite direction. A slight wave [0 man intermediate portion of the track performs a function to be described later. The front 1e"g s1 of the upwardly inclined track aresecured upon the same with freedom of adinstability so as to allow the angle of the upward in clihe to be adjusted. [A pair of parallel posts ll rise from the front sealed 4 of the main frame and carry, at their upperends, a transverse hand-hold I 2. A pair of bars l3 project forwardly from the posts II and carry abearing I4 for a shaft l5 which latterhas two arms 16 mounted thereon, on opposite sides of the posts; the free ends of the arms carrying the foot pedals IT. The two arms carry, intermediate their length, a transverse member l8 adapted toserve as a connection for the connectinglink 'lfl 1 Rearwardly of the posts I l, the main frame oarries a transverse member 20 on which are pivoted two arms-2 I on the free ends of which is mounted a seat 22'; The two arms 2| are curved and ex- "tend upwardly from their support to a suitable height whereupon they continue in a rearward direction so as to bring the seat 22 over th track 6.

Therarms aresupported by means of two braces 23 pivotedto a cross-member secured upon the arms a "short distance ahead of the seat. The freeends of the braces 23 carry a roller 25 free to ride on the track 6. The free ends of the braces are also connected by means of the connecting link l9 to thecross member l8 associated with the f'oot pedals.

The mechanism thus far described operates as follows: As a seat occupant pushes forward on the foot pedals I! while grasping the hand-hold l2 he, by means of the connecting rod I9, pulls the ro11er25 forward on the inclined track, thereby swinging the braces 23 to a more vertical position and thus, through this wedging-acti-on, raisingtheseat 22. As the roller 25 reaches the forward end of the track it tends to rise on the curved section 8 and to build up momentum for initiating movement injthe opposite direction. Therefore, when the operator ceases to press forward on the pedals I! the roller 25 will be urged backward and doWnwar-djbn the inclined track under the weight of the seatbbcupant and will automatic-ally return the track 6.

3 2,4 the seat to its initial position. The rearward movement of the roller 25 is limited by the stop 9.

Thus the curvatures 8 and 9 at the front and rear ends of the track serve to limit the forward and rearward movement and also to absorb energy in initiating movement in the opposite direction.

It will be understood that at the beginning of the forward stroke on the foot pedals I1 the seat occupant is inv position to apply greater;pressure than towards the end of the stroke. In order to equalize the foot pressure necessary in operating the device, I provide the wave 10 in the track, this wave offering slightly increased resistancesatithe beginning of the forward stroke and decreasing the angle of incline after the- WaVeA-has -been passed, that is during the latter part, of ,thetforward stroke.

The wave also adds a certain amounti'of resistv ance to the seat'movement.

nAslan auxiliary means for controlling and 'evening offmovement of the roller and the result- 1 ing movementof the seatZZ I provide a fly wheel control including a link 21 pivoted at one'end to I the connecting link I 9 asat- 28 andat the other end to an eccentricpin 29 rising from the face of a .pulley 30 which latter is revolvably supported on a bracket 3!. Thepulley 30 drives, through a belt connection-32,. a-pulley 33 on a flywheel 34,

the drive being such that thewfly wheel revolves at (I much greater speed than the pulley- 30. It is apparentthat the pin 29 limits thetravelof the roller 2-5 on the track 6 to a=,.definite distance depending upon the distance ofthe pin ZS-from the center; of rotation. The pulley. again is controlled.-

inits revolving movement by the fiy wheel 34 which smooths out the movement of the pulley and the resulting movement of the roller on "With this attachmentwhich is removable, as

is made smooth and easy, and particularlyat the end of the movement anytendency for-the roller to become jerky or spasmodic is eliminated.

.Suitable adjustment for the pivot 28 is provided for along the-length of thelink l9, as shown, and

another adjustmentds-provided for in theposi- ..tion of thetpivot 29 with respect to; the center of rotation. The latter adjustment determines .the

a sprocket and chain drive may be readily sub stituted without involving invention.

The fly wheel assembly is mounted as a unit which may be removed at will if its use is not desired.

I claim:

1. An exercising machine comprising an elongated main frame having an inclined track intermediate its ends and having a hand-hold post :member at its :front .end a' toot pedali member =swingably supported onthe saidframe, an arm having one end rockably mounted intermediate -the ends of the main frame and having a seat on ,1131%551 tree end, a brace swingably suspended from the arm and having a free end riding on the track, 4 and a connection between the pedal member and thelqrace whereby the latter will raise the seat as the pedals are swung forward and the seat will be .loweredaon the return of the pedals.

2. An exercising machine comprising an elongated;mainfra e i g a c ined tracls nter- .mediate; ite. .ends and. having, a hand-holdmost member. at .itsifront end, a foot..pedal member .swin,g,ably. supported on .the..said frame, an. arm havin gnne end. rockably mountedintermediate e .;.end s of the main frame and; having. .a-seaton its =fr' eelend,l a. brace. swingably. suspended. ,from -1 the arm aniihavill 9; free .endriding onthetrack, and.anonnectionflbetween the pedal ..memben.and 30 the brace -whereby .the. latterewill raisetheiseatas ;,the,p.eda1s.are swungforward and .theseat will be .low don the ,return of the pedals the saidconnegct on cpmprising a .link, pivoted to the foot pedal.member. and-to .the ,free, end of the brace.

.eXercising machine. cpmprising, an. elon- ,.gat,ed,.main frame having aninclinedtraclgintermediate its ends and..ha.ving.. a. handeholdspost ,member,. at its-front end, a tfootrpedallmember .swingalo1y supported.on ,theflsaid frame anrarm dha'ving one end rockably mountedintermediate .the cndaof. themain frame and having. a seat on ,its free ..end, a. brace .swingably suspended .from

.-.t ea :m andliavinsarree end ridinspn thetrack,

,and, v.cgrl tuection betweenlthe pedaLmember, and the'brace whereby the latter willraisetheseatas .thepedals are swung forward andtheseatwill be t awe ed loath e t t e .p da s,;.t e .track ,haying. a curvedlstop at the front end therebf-to "give, impetusto ,the initiation of .the returnmovelength of the forward and rearward strokes While O .men

the former adjustment determines the position of the roller on the track. I

. It should be noted that a comparatively light fly wheel willperf orm. the desired function in View of the fact that it revolves. at a higher'speed than the pulley and further in view of the fact that the pivot 25) at the end of each stroke isalined with the pivot 28 and the center of rotation so thatlthe -mornentum carrying the pivot ZS-across center-is translated into initiation of return movementl-on favorable terms.

' It willbe noted that the frame is made of tubu- --lar material, such as ordinary piping,- and that the track 6 is mounted on the frame as a-separate element. It should be understood that-the underlying section 3 of the frame might be squared and used for atrack or that the whe el"25 might'be .grooved in its circumference to cooperate with the pipe section 3, as shown.

If, desired, suitable cushioning membersjfl not 4:4 1. exe c n ma ne.comprisinaani o igated main, frame having, an inclined. track-rin- ,termediate its .endsand having. ahandehold ost .memben, at its front end... a foot pedal irnernber ,swingably, supported on .the. said frame... flntarm having one end rockably. mountedintermediate theends ofthemainjrame and having a seat on fits free end 'a,,brace .swingably suspended. from thefarm and having a free ..end .ridin a on sth track, a link ,pivoted to the foot, pedal member and. the free end. Ofthebrace tqficchalternating raising, ahdlowringfbf theseat. When.'.the ,foqt pedalmember is,op r ed by. a Seatoccupant, and a pulley operable by thelinkignfiflntmllln rthemqtipn p the. la ter. I ta exercis n evice co pfi'sip aimm .havins,;a ;.,inc ined. track Q an). arm. m ,..l 'olth if meand having a seaflaboye the trac s tra a mted ithe arman ah liinaa free end'ridlng .on,',the, track; andmeans operable J. therfi et f,ase t ccup nta d actin -wattle en o t e bra nad an ina-t lattem he-trac whetebx t e s t, isi aise 6. Anp. .eigercising device,.comprisingg a, frame insti ate inclined txa kthe ena marmpp ne d to the frame and having a seat above the track, a brace pivoted to the arm and having a free end riding on the track, and means operable alternately by the feet and the weight of a seat occupant for moving the free end of the brace back and forth on the track for raising and lowering the seat.

7. An exercising device comprising a frame having an inclined track thereon, an arm pivoted to the frame and having a seat above the track, a brace pivotedto the arm and having a free end riding on the track, and means operable by the feet of a seat occupant and actin on, the free end of the brace for advancing the latter on the,

track whereby the seat is raised, the track having a wave intermediate the length thereof for lightening the load toward the end of the advance.

8. An exercising machine comprising an elongated main framehavlng a hand-grip post at its front end and elevating means rearwardly thereof, a pedal yoke swingably connected with respect to the main frame, an auxiliary frame having one end connected to the main frame forswinging up and down movement and having a seat on the other end, a lift link swingably connected to the auxiliary frame intermediate its two ends and in cooperative relation with the elevating means, and a rod having one end connected to the pedal yoke and the other end to the lift link, the elevating means serving to raise the seat end of the auxiliary frame when the yoke swings forward.

9. An exercising machine comprising an elongated main frame having a hand-grip post at its front end and elevating means rearwardly thereof, a pedal yoke swingably connected to the post, an auxiliary frame having one end connected to the main frame for swinging up and down movement and having a seat on the other end, a lift link swingably connected to the auxiliary frame intermediate its two ends and in cooperative relation with the elevating means, and a rod having one end connected to the pedal yoke and the other end to the lift link, the elevating means serving to raise the seat end of the auxiliary frame when the yoke swings forward.

10. An exercising machine comprising an elongated main frame having a hand-grip post at its front end, a pedal yoke swingably connected with respect to the main frame, an auxiliary frame having one end connected to the main frame for swinging up and down movement and having a seat on the other end,a lift link swingably connected to the auxiliary frame intermediate its two ends, a rod having one end connected to the pedal yoke and the other end to the lift link, and cooperative means on the main frame and the lift link for raising the seat end of the auxiliary frame when the yoke swings forward.

11. An exercising machine comprising an elongated main frame having a hand-grip post at its front end, a pedal yoke swingably connected to the post, an auxiliary frame having one end connected to the main frame for swinging up and down movement and having a seat on the other end, a lift link swingably connected to the auxiliary frame intermediate its two ends, a rod having one end conected to the pedal yoke and the other end to the lift link, and cooperative means on the main frame and the lift link for raising the seat end of the auxiliary frame when the yoke swings forward.

JOSEPH D. BELL.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Root Sept. 15, 1885 Number 

